Clasp for file-bands



(No Model.)

B. J. HALL 85 H. I. NORTON.

CLASP FOR FILE BANDS.

No. 405.958. Patented J1me 25, 1889.

N. PETERS, Pholv'filhuglvhun Waxhing'am D. c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDIVARD J. HALL AND HARRISON I. NORTON, OF BENNINGTON, VERMONT.

CLASP FOR FILE-BANDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 405,958, dated June 25,1889.

Application filed February 20, 1889. Serial No. 800,638. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, EDWARD J. HALL and HARRISON I. NORTON, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Bennington, in the county of Benningtonand State of Vermont, have invented new and useful Improvements inClasps for FileBands, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in confining clasps for file-bands, the object thereof being to render the clasp most easy and quickof operation; and the invention consists in the construction andcombination of parts, all substantially as will hereinafter I 5 morefully appear, and be set forth in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the Views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a file-band embracing a bundle ofpapers and showing the clasp of this invent-ion as in a confiningengagement thereon. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the clasp asdetached from the band; and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a clasp ofmodified construction.

The clasp device of this invention consists in part of two rectangularframes a a, one

above the other. To the one end Z) of each thereof one end of thefile-band (Z is connected, and said band thence, from such portion inattachment with the ends I) of said frames, passes around the bundle ofpapers under the 3 5 front bar 6 of the lowermost frame a, and under andaround and over the front bar 2' of the upper frame, and then under saidfront bar 2 of the lower frame a, but resting on and above the portionof the band first mentioned as passed under said front bar.

By drawing on the free end of the band (1, to shorten the loopsurrounding the bundle of papers, the forward bar 6 of the upper frame ais drawn against the adjacent bar of the lower frame a, pressing uponand binding that portion f of the file-band which is between them andconfining it against endwise movement, and the closer the band is drawnabout the bundle the firmer the said portion of the band will beconfined.

The device further consists in a handle or lifter g, applied on or withrelation to the upper frame of said clasp, whereby the said frame may beeasily raised to separate its forward bar 6 from the adjacent bar on thelower frame a, to loosen the file-band.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the said handle or lifter 9 consists of a short tape orband passed around the side bars of the upper frame, and having itsterminal portions h projected at right angles to the plane of the saidframe, so as to be readily grasped by the fingers and held together by ametal clip i.

In Fig. 3 the lifter g is shown as formed integrally with the clasp, andall from a single piece of wire. The wire, beginning at one end j, isthence continued in two coils, preferably square, to form the lower andupper frames a a, the terminal portion 1.; of the upper frame-coilthence being passed under a shallow loop 1, intermediate of one side barof said frame-coil, and thence, by a portion m, crosses to the otherside of said upper framecoil, engaging'a shallow loop Z thereof,theneecontinuing, preferably rearwardly, beyond the rear bars of theframe-coils and returning to an engagement by an eye a thereof with saidcross portion, forming a handlebar p. Said handle-bar p, when projectedrearwardly beyond the rear cross-bars of the frames and substantiallylevel with the top of the upper one thereof, may act as a lever to raisethe upper wire-formed frame a, the upper and rear cross-bar of thedescribed coils acting as a fulcrum therefor; or, if desired, the saidwire-formed handle may be perpendicularly projected from the upper frameand employed as a lifter by a direct draft thereon, as in the deviceshown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In operation the lifter-handle, in addition to being of great utility inseparating the frames for a freedom of passage between them of thefile-band, also serves a useful purpose in that after the adjacent frontframebars have been separated to loosen the band for its free movement,the loop of said band may be enlarged by grasping said handleto one endof a file-band, of a lifter or handle 10 lifter, and moving the claspthereby in a diattached to said upper frame, substantially as reetionrelatively away from the bight of and for the purpose described.

said band in engagement With the bars e 6 thereof EDWARD J. HALL.

What We claim as our invention is HARRISON I. NORTON. The combination,with a file-band clasp Witnesses:

comprising upper and lower frames at a, CLEMENT W. CONE,'

adapted by their rear portions to be secured JUSTIN KELLOGG.

